( Portsmouth, Ohio) Should the CDC ban Trick-or-Treat due to COVID? Congress asked the Centers For Disease Control to weigh in on Halloween during the COVID crisis. A group of 30 members of Congress asked CDC Director Robert Redfield to lay down safety rules for Halloween activities, including Trick-or-Treat.
The group included both Democrats and Republicans. The letter to Redfield read in part, “We are writing to ask you to update your Halloween safety guidance to include considerations related to COVID-19 so that Americans across the country know how to celebrate the Halloween season safely this year,”
The tone of the letter seemed to indicate opposition to traditional Trick-or-Treat activities. Members inquired about:
- video costume parties
- leaving candy for friends and neighbors
- drive through Trick-or-Treat
The letter continued, “With the appropriate guidance from the CDC, Americans can celebrate Halloween throughout the month of October in ways that prioritize community safety and adhere to rigorous socially distancing requirements.”
Trick-or-Treating Not Recommended
Los Angeles County generated controversy last week over plans to ban in-person trick-or-treating. The county later backtracked and said that it wouldn’t ban the activity but would not recommend it.
That decision drew the attention of Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis last week. He said he would do his best to make sure the tradition was not interrupted in Scioto County.
The commissioner said that Trick or Treat is special to many parents and children. He also pointed out that other events are permitted this fall. “If we can have Trade Days, we can have trick or treat. Kids are already wearing masks.”
Davis said he’s already reached out to the health department to discuss the matter. “We’ll be bringing that to a head soon. It’s mid-September. October 31 falls on a Saturday. It’d be a heck of a day, a nice day to have Trick or Treat.” The commissioner said the event had not been scheduled … yet. “Our preference would be for us to be able to do that.”